[1980s Western Music] Nostalgic 80’s Best Hit Songs
The 1980s brought changes to music history and had a huge influence on later musicians.
Cyndi Lauper, Culture Club, Madonna, Earth, Wind & Fire…
Even those who didn’t live through the era can sink into a sense of nostalgia that feels familiar somehow.
Compared to modern songs, the classics of the ’80s often boast purer song quality and stronger musical structure—or, seen another way, the larger market meant bigger budgets, letting you enjoy luxuriously produced sounds.
Find a favorite track and really dive into it!
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[1980s Western Music] Nostalgic 80’s Best Hit Songs (’81–’90)
It’s My LifeTalk Talk
An iconic song by the British band Talk Talk, distinguished by its cool synthesizer tones.
The group evolved from their early new wave sound into an experimental style that gradually incorporated jazz and art rock.
Released in January 1984, the track signaled the beginning of that transformation.
With a theme that seems to declare, “This is my life,” and a resolve not to let anyone interfere, it gives you the courage to stay true to yourself.
It drew renewed attention in 1990 during promotion for a best-of compilation, becoming a hit that reached No.
13 on the UK chart.
It’s a talisman-like number that gently supports you when you’re swayed by others’ voices or want to firm up your own resolve.
Don’t CryASIA
A supergroup formed in 1982 by members hailing from some of the biggest names in the progressive rock scene of the ’70s.
There’s none of the typical prog complexity here; instead, John Wetton’s outstanding pop sensibility shines through in catchy songs that became massive hits worldwide.
I Just Called To Say I Love YouStevie Wonder
It’s a song released in 1984, also known for being used on the soundtrack of the Gene Wilder–directed film The Woman in Red.
It was originally provided to Bread & Butter, with lyrics by Yumi Matsutoya and arrangement by Haruomi Hosono, but there’s an anecdote that Stevie’s side requested to release it first as the film’s theme song.
VacationThe Go-Go’s
It reached No.
8 in the U.S.
in 1982.
They were pioneers of the all-girl band scene, formed around Jane Wiedlin and Belinda Carlisle.
There were hard rock acts like the Runaways, but this might have been the first time a pop band of this kind also achieved major commercial success.
That said, they originally started out as a punk/new wave band.
In the music video, the five members stand side by side in pink outfits, doing water-skiing—the same image used on the album cover—which left a strong impression.
But apparently the actual water-skiing was done by professional players, and the video used compositing.
Undercover Of The NightThe Rolling Stones
It’s a dance number by the legendary British rock band The Rolling Stones, where tense, urgent percussion intertwines with razor-sharp guitars.
Released in October 1983, it was the lead single from the album Undercover.
Its hard-edged groove, infused with New Wave and funk influences, has the power to set the dance floor ablaze.
Yet the lyrics ride that beat to depict political violence and oppression lurking in the night, lending the song a serious theme that sets it apart from a mere party track and gives it distinctive depth and thrill.
This bold sound, steered by Mick Jagger, almost seems to reflect the internal tensions within the band at the time.
It’s a perfect pick for an intelligent, cool, grown-up party night.
FootlooseKenny Loggins
Triggered by the main theme song of the worldwide smash hit film Footloose, this track also became a massive hit.
With its lively sound and irresistibly danceable vibe, it stands as one of the quintessential songs of the 1980s.
It brings back memories of everyone tapping their shoes and dancing as they walked.
It was Kenny Loggins’s biggest hit and is still loved today.
[1980s Western Music] Nostalgic 80’s Best Hit Songs (91–100)
ShoutTears for Fears
A song that catapulted these UK natives to fame in the United States and around the world.
Since two of the original members experienced their parents’ divorce in childhood, many of their songs lean toward anti-establishment themes, boldly and consistently presenting soft-spoken laments and cries about the state of the world.